DARPA shows us how it wants to launch satellites using fighter jets

This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of use.

Getting even light things into orbit is an expensive endeavor. It’s that pesky gravity thing again. Even small rocket launches capable of getting a 100 pound satellite into low-Earth orbit cost millions of dollars and require extensive planning. DARPA is working on a plan to slash the cost of these smaller launches using military equipment we already have. It’s called Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA), and involves strapping a rocket to a fighter jet.

The going rate for shooting something into space is roughly $30,000 per pound. That might come down as more private spaceflight companies get into the market, but they will all still be relying on ground-based rockets. That involves a lot of setup and launches can be scrubbed simply because it’s raining. Fighter aircraft are designed to operate is all sorts of weather and can reach supersonic speeds. ALASA calls for the jet to take a rocket high up into the atmosphere above any inclement weather, then release it so it can fire up the first-stage engines.

The ALASA platform would be a two-stage rocket. The first-stage would take it out of the atmosphere before detaching. A second-stage then moves the payload (up to 100 pounds) into a stable orbit and deploys it. DARPA estimates the entire launch could be accomplished for $1 million — about one-third the cost of sending up a regular rocket from ground level.

One of the most important advantages ALASA would offer is that a jet can carry the rocket to almost any orbital trajectory and operators would only need 24 hours notice to make it happen. You don’t even need a big, expensive launch pad. Any airstrip will do.

ALASA is out of the initial planning stages and Boeing has been awarded a contract to design and test the system in real life. Engineers intend to explore a variety of new technologies to make ALASA viable including advanced composite structures, new avionics systems, and high-energy monopropellant. Unlike many DARPA projects, this one is very close to becoming a reality. The first test launch is expected in late 2015 with orbital tests coming in 2016.